Sheet metal cabinet construction



June 15, 1948. C, RQKwELl l2,443,515

SHEET llE-TAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed Hay 22. 1944 3 Sheets--Sheei 1 y f7 4j 4 rf; "':al a5 "5 l y q 'IL/47 4 -18 26 14|, 'l

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SHEET METAL GABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed May 22. 1944 5 Sheets-SheetI 2 "5 I .33 kg3 6 L Tg1/2o I f77,

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vsalam umm. CABINET couswnuc'nou Filed nay 22, 1944 s Smets-sheet s flu/@fuif Lyle TROC/Wad Patented June 15,y 1948 I 2.443.515 sIIEET .METAL CABINET CONSTRUCTION Lyle C. Rockwell, Elgin, Ill.,assignor to Acme Visible Records, Inc., Chicago, lll., a corporation of Delaware Application May 232, 1944, serial No. 536,679

' 1 This invention relates to -sheet metal cabinets generally, but is more particularly concerned with one of improved knock-down construction.`

with a view to permitting economical quantity production of cabinets, all of the panels of which are preferably enameled as individual units and thereafter packed for shipment in knock-down form for most economical shipment, resulting in great saving in space.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a sheet metal cabinet, in'which the panels to be interconnected have channel-shaped edge portions made to interlock, so that the knock-down cabinet can be put together -quickly and easily, with a minimum amount of halting, the channeled edge portions serving, furthermore, tolend strength and rigidity to the whole structure, so that it will retain the desired shape and remain true indefinitely.

Still another object is 4to providers. sheet metal cabinet of knock-down construction, in which the top and bottom and end panels are interlocked with the back panel at their rear edges `by interfitting channels, as above mentioned, and

the front corners of the top and end panels and the bottom and end panels are interconnected by L-shaped, reinforcing cleats, set -on the inside of the cabinet at the corners, behind the over'- lapping flanges of said panels, so that a single screw; passed through registering holes in the overlapping flanges and threaded into a hole in each cleat, is sufiicient to securely fasten the cabinet together at each corner without. any

likelihood of the cabinet getting out of shape..

which the door is removable;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the cabinet with the doors closed. one end portion of the cabinet being lshownin section, to better illustrate the construction;

Fig. 3 is an exploded viewof the main portions of the cabinet, to better illustrate the form of the various panels and indicate the mode of assembly; l

4 Claims. (Cl. S12-143) Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic section on a reduced scale, taken in the vertical plane of the line 4 4 of Figs. 1 and 2;-

Fig. 5 is a similar diagrammatic section, taken in the transverse vertical plane ofthe line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is still another similar diagrammatic section, in the horizontal plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail, partly in front elevation and partly in vertical section, of the upper right-hand front corner of the cabinet, illustrating the corner reinforcing cleat, as well as the hinge for the door;

Fig. 8 is a, horizontal sectional detail on the line 8-3 of Fig. '1, showing how the cleat is fastened into the corner portion of the cabinet with a single screw;

' Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the cleat and door hinge, the dot-and-dash lines indicating the manner of assembly;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line I--Ill of Fig. 3, showing a rear shelf sup- -D0rt with theA shelf in assembled relation the lower portion of the handle bail forming the door-pull, the dot-and-dash lines indicating the manner of assembly;

Fig, 16 is a section in the horizontal plane of the line IB-IB in Fig. 3, showing a two-piece back panel and indicating the end panels locked therewith, intermediate portions of the section being broken away to permitshowing the parts on a larger scale, and

Fig. 17 is a horizontal sectional detail, showing an alternative construction, insofar as the locking feature of the two-piece back is conwmed.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout .the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 6, the reference numeral I 9 designates the back panel, which is of rectangular form, and has the rectangular top and bottom panels I9 and 29 interlocked with i-ts upper and lower edge portions 2| and 22, respectively, by means of the rear edge portions 23 and 24 of said panels. The two end panels 25 and 25 are arranged to interlock with the edge portions 21-and 28 of back panel I8 at their rear edge portions 29 and 30, respectively. The edge portions 2I .and 23 are channel-shaped in cross-section, as indicated in Fig. 5, the flange 3l on the edge portion 23 being bent inwardly at an acute angle of approximately 60 with respect to the web of the channel, to enter the trough of the channeled edge portion 2 I, the flange 32 of which is bent inwardly substantially at right angles to the web of the channel. The ange 3l ls out away at both ends, as indicated at 33 in Fig. 3, to receive the upper ends of the channeled edge portions 21 and 28 of the back panel I8 when the top panel I9 is assembled onto the upper edge of the back panel, in rthe manner shownl in Fig. 5. The side edges of the top panel are defined by downwardly projecting anges 34, and the fron-t edge portion 35 is bent downwardly and rearwardly to a channel-shaped cross-section, for reinforcement of the top panel, and so as not to present any exposedraw edges at .the front of the cabinet. The channel 22 is on the front of the back panel, and has the Iflange 38 thereof bent rearwardly at an acute angle of about 60 relative .to the web portion of the channel, to lock detachably in the channeled rear edge por-- tion 24 of the panel 20. The side edges of the bottom panel are defined by downwardly projecting flanges 31, and the front edge is bent downwardly and rearwardly lto define a channel 38, like the channel 35 on .the top panel, for a. similar purpose. The same mode of assembly is used in interlockingY the end panels 25 and 28 onto opposite ends of the back panel i8, as indicated in Fig. 6, the flanges 39 on the edge portions -29 and 30 being bent at an acute angle of about 60 to the web portions of these channels, yto have detachable interlocking engagement in the troughs of the channels 21 and 28 on the opposite ends of the back panel. The upper ends of the flanges 39 are cutaway, as indicated at 40 in Fig. 3, to receive the flanged ends 34 of the top panel, the top panel being` interlocked with the back panel, and the top and bottom panels being both inlterlocked with the back panel before the end panels are assembled onto the back panel. The top and bottom edges of the end panels are defined by flanges 4i, which in the assembled cabinet overlie the ends of the top panel and project beneath the ends of the bottom panel, as indicated in Fig. 4. The front edges of the end panels are bent laterally and rearwardly, to define channels, as indicated at 42, similar to the channels 35 and 38 on the front edges of the top and bottom panels, for a similar purpose. The upper and lower ends of the rearwardly projecting flanges of the channeled front edges 42 are cut away, as indicated at 43, yto provide clearance for the top and bottom panels in the nassembling of the cabinet. It should be clear from thismuch description, that the channeling of the edge portions of the ve panels mentioned, so that .the ttop and bottom and both ends of the cabinet the parts are interconnected rigidly the full length of their interlocking edges, so that the resulting structure is extremely strong and rigid, great strength being insured by reason of the double channel formation along the top and bottom and both ends of the back of the cabinet, substantially the full length ofthese portions.

The top, bottom and end panels, when interlocked with the back in the manner described, are arranged to be fastened securely in assembled relationship, using only four screws 44, one at each of the four corners of the front of the cabinet. L-shaped cleats 45, stamped from sheet metal, preferably of medium heavy gauge in relation to the thinner sheet metal used in the panels, are inserted in the corners of the cabinet at the front thereof, and are made to t snugly in the channels 35, 38 and 42. A tapped screw hole 48 in the corner portion of fthe L, registers with holes 41 punched in .the overlapping web portions of the channels 35 and 42, or 38 and 42, as the case may be, to permit entering the screws 44 and threading the same in the holes 48, to draw the cleats up tight when the screws are tightened, and accordingly make for a rigid cabinet structure, and one which is not apt to get out of shape in service. The cleats keep the corners squared e up, and whatever strains are imposed upon the can be detachably interlocked with the back,

makes for speedy and easy assembly, und. all,

cleats are distributed .the full length of the arms .thereof in |the channels, in which these arms fits snugly, and, hence, there are little or no shearing strains' imposed upon the screws `44. The screws merely prevent displacement of the cleats from operative position.

The cleats 45 also provide supports for the doors 48 and 49 4of the cabinet. While I have shown two doors, each covering a half of the open front of the cabinet, it should,v of course, be understood that I may provide a single door covering the whole front. Each ofthe doors is shown as made from a single sheet metal panel, the four -edges of which are bent rearwardly and inwardly,

Vfor cooperation with a swingable hinge member 53 on the door. Registering slots 54 are punched in the webs of the channels 35 and 42, or 38 and 42, as the case may be, for projection therethrough of the lugs 52, as indicated in Fig. 7. The hinge members 53 are preferably Vformed from sheet metal like the cleats 45, and each has a longitudinal reinforcing ange 55, on the end of which a prong 56 is formed, arranged in the assembling of the door on the cabinet to pass freely through a notch 51 in the edge of the lug '52 after the pintle 58 on the hinge member 53 has been entered in the hole 59 provided theref for in the lug 52. The pin 58 on the upper hinge member 53 is preferably a trifle shorter than the pin 58 on the lower hinge member 53 to simplify the assembling operation, the lower, longer pin being started in its hole 59 before the upper pin 59 enters its hole. There is therefore no such diiliculty as would otherwise be involved if both pins had to be aligned with the holes at the same time. The pins are preferably also tapered on the ends, as shown, to facilitate assembling. The prong 56 and notch 51 will be provided only on the upper hinge, and it should be clear from Fig. 'I that,

after the door is hung and the prong 55 is disposed under the lug 52 and the door is swung forwardly from the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 and corresponding to that in Fig. 7, the door is locked against accidental displacement oil' its hinges, because the prong 59 will strike the bottom of the lug 52 and prevent upward displacement of the door from operative position in all positions except that indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, where the lug 56 is in register with the notch 51 and is therefore movable through the notch, as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 9. The upper and lower hinge corners of the door are cut away, as indicated at 60 in Fig. 7, for projection of the pintle and prongcarrying ends of the hinge members 53 and to receive the lugs 52 forming the fixed hinge members and provide operating clearance for these lugs for the extent of vertical movement of the door required in applying and removing the same.-

While I have shown screws 5I threading in holes 52 provided therefor in the hinge members 53, to fasten the hinge members 53 in the channeled upper and lower edges 59 of the door, it should be understood that these hinge members may be riveted or spot-welded to the door.

The doors 4'8 and 49 have improved door-pulls 53 and spring detents 54, illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15. The pull comprises a sheet metal bail member 65, forming a generally c-shaped handle, one end of which is bent downwardly and upwardly to form a C-shaped clip, which can be entered easily through a slot 61 provided in the door, to interlock that end of the handle bail with the door. Another slot 99 is provided in the door in vertically spaced relation to the slot 81, adjacent the other end of the handle bail, which has a portion 59 bent at right angles to the end portion of the bail, for abutment with the outside of the door, a small lug being provided on the edge of the portion 69 and at right angles thereto, and arranged to pass through the slot 59 and into a slot 1I on the attaching end portion 12 of the detent 94, which is disposed in abutment with the inner side of the door. The attaching end portion 12 of the detent is bent at right angles to the body of the detent, and is vertically adjustable with respect to the inner side of the door. A screw 13 is entered through the slot 1I and through a hole provided in the door, and is threaded in a hole 14 provided in the bent end portion 69 of the handle bail, whereby to fasten the detent to the inside of the door and at the same time fasten the adjacent end portion of the handle bail securely to the door on the outside. The vertical slot 1|, which may be closed at the upper end, if desired, serves a double purpose: it permits vertical adjustment of the detent 64' with respect to the handle bail, in order to get the detent into proper relationship to the keeper slot 15, provided in the web of the channeled front edge portions 38 of the bottom panel and it cooperates with the lug 10 to prevent rotation of the detent 64 with respect tothe screw 13, thus making it practical to rely upon a single screw for the fastening of the door-pull and detent to the door. Rubber bumpers 16 are preferably mounted in the web portion of the channeled edge portions 35 and 38 of the top and bottom panels-'as indicated in Fig. 14, for abutment with the' channeled upper and lower edge portions of the doors, to'silence the closing i of the doors and prevent rattling.

Two shelves are indicated at 11 in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, and are preferably formed from sheet metal,

, panel 25.

the rear edge being defined by a downwardly pro- Iiecting flange 19. and both ends being defined by downwardly projecting flangas 19, but the front edge being bent downwardly and rearwardly. as indicated at I9, so as not to leave any raw edges exposed at the fronts of the shelves. The flanges 'Il and 19v and channels 99 reinforce the shelves, so that they have the desired strength and rigidity, and are not apt to buckle under loadi Upwardly projecting tongues 9| are struck out of the back panel Il, and the rear flange 19 fits behind these,4 tongues, as shown in Fig. 10, for support-of the shelves at the rear. There are sheet metal brackets '92, .detachably secured t'o the channeled front edges 42 `of the end panels 25 and 25, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, for support of the shelves at the front of the cabinet. One of these brackets is shown in perspective in Fig. 11, and is made from a single elongated strip of sheet metal. bent transversely intermediate the ends, as at 99. to form a V, the one arm 84 of which provides the supporting ledge for the shelf, and the other arm 95 the prop portion. The ledge portion 94 is cut out on one side, asat 55. to define a hook I1 on the outer corner portion that is arranged to be entered in a slot 99 provided therefor onthe rearwardly projecting ange I9 of the channeled edge portion 42of the end panel 25 or 25, as the case may be. -The brackets I4 will, of course, be provided of right-v and left-hand types, the ones shown in Figs. 11- 13 being the right-hand type, to flt the right end The left-hand type has the hook 91 on the opposite side ofthe ledge portion 84. The brackets 92 have to be held in substantially right angle relation to their operative positions to enter the hooks 91 in the slots, or to disengage hooks therefrom, and after a bracket has its hook 91 entered in the slot I9, the prop portion 85 is adapted to straddie the flange 89, there being a longitudinally extending slot 90 provided in the lower end portion of the prop, to receive said flange, in the manner indicated in Figs. 12 and 13. The bottom edge 9i of theprop 85 has abutment with the inner side of the web portion of the channel 42, as clearly appears in Fig. 13, so that the brackets 92 form steady supports for the shelves. These edges 9| will tend to engage the webs of the channels even before the weight of the shelves is placed on the brackets, because each of the brackets is unbalanced in that direc.

tion, and therefore tends to gravitate to that position. The shelves 11, being each supported at the front at both ends on brackets 82 and at the y back near b oth ends on tongues 9i, and being furthermore reinforced along all fouredges by the flanges 19 and 19 and channels 80, will not I prefer to have all of the panels used in thepresent cabinet of a size not substantially larger than any of the top, bottom and end panels and shelves 11, and for that reason prefer to make the back panel I9 in two pieces, as indicatedby the vertical center line 92 in Fig. 3. This centerline, as shown in Fig. 16, corresponds to thethe top, bottom and end panels are interlocked with the back panel I8, namely, by the interfty ting of the channeled edge portion 95 on the piece 93 and the channeled edge portion 98 on the piece 94. The flange 91 of the channel 95 is bent inwardly at an acute angle of about 60 with respent-to the web portion of that channel, as indicated, so as to project into the channel 98 to the extent necessary for positively interlocking the pieces 93 and 94, similarly as in the interlocking of the top, bottom and end panels with the back panel I8 of the cabinet, as previously described. With such a construction, it is apparent that a much smaller package can be made of the disassembled cabinet, and, therefore, a substantial saving in the cost of shipment is realized. It is also considered of 4advantage in the quantity production of cabinets to have all of the panels nearly of the same size. If desired, the back panel maybe like that shown at lb in Fig.

v 17, in which the pieces 93 and 94' have C-shaped edge portions 95' and 98', which are adapted to be interlocked in the manner shown. Such va construction is of advantage from the standpoint that wooden-cleats are usually nailed to a wall horizontally for support of the cabinet, the cabinet being thereafter fastened by its back panel to the cleats, and with the construction shown in Fig. 17, it is a simpler matter to notch out the cleats to accommodate the folded interlocking edge portions of the pieces 93 and 94', and thus use continuous pieces in the top and bottom cleats, than it is to put up two-piece cleats at the top and bottom in sufliciently spaced relation to accommodate therebetween the interlocked edge portions 95 and 98 of the pieces 93 and 94, shown in Fig. 16. In a narrower cabinet having a single door, the split back construction would not be necessary, because the full width back panel would not be apt to be much, if any, larger than the other panels of the cabinet.

While I have made reference to sheet metal as the,'at present, preferred material for manufacture of this cabinet, it should be clear that my invention is not to be regarded as limited to that or any other specific material, and hence wherever the term sheet metal occurs in the claims, the claims should be construed accordingly.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of all of the objects and advantages Aof my invention. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a cabinet structure, a plurality of individual sections formed of sheet material to provide top, bottom and side walls for the cabinet, the forward edge portion of each section being bent at right anglesto the plane of the section to provide a web and thence bent rearwardly in spaced parallel relation to the section to provide a depending flange, the flange of each section being cut away at its ends to permit overlapping of the ends of adjacent webs, and means comprising two pairs of generally L-shaped corner members, one pair for each side of the cabinet at the front, the upper one of each pair having one leg thereof extending longitudinally with respect to the front edge portion of a side wall and the other leg extending longitudinally with respect to the front edge portion of said top wall, and the lower one' of each pair havingv one leg thereof extending longitudinally with respect to the front edge on the front edge portions of said top and side walls and of said bottom and side walls having ,and having holes provided therein in coaxial registering openings provided therein, and said corner members each having a screw-threaded hole provided therein registering with the registering openings, and a single screw for fastening each of said corner members to said walls entered in the screw-threaded hole in the corner member through the registering openings in said webs.

2. In a cabinet structure, comprising top, bottom, and opposed side walls of sheet material disposed in assembled relationship to one another, the front edge portions of said walls being formed into channel-shape with the webs of the channels in substantially vertical planes and substantially coplanar relation, four L-shaped corner members for. interconnecting the side walls with the top and bottom walls at the front corners of the cabinet, two of said L-shaped members having one leg fitting snugly in the channel of their respective side walls and the other leg fitting snugly in the channel of said top wall, the `other two of said L-shaped members having one legfttingsnugly in the channel of their respective side walls and the other leg fitting snugly in the channel of said bottom wall, whereby to reinforce and square up the front corners of said cabinet, means for fastening said corner members to said walls, two of saidcorner members on the same side oi.' the cabinet having outwardly projecting door supportingA lugs provided thereon in substantially parallel horizontal planes relation on a substantially vertical axis.

3. In a cabinet structure,fcompri sing top, bottom, and opposed side walls; of sheet material disposed in assembled relationshipvto one another,

the front edge portions of said walls being formed into channel-shape with the webs of the channels in substantially vertical planes and substantially coplanar relation,- four L-shaped corfitting snugly in the channel of said top wall,'

the other two of said L-shaped members having one leg fitting snugly in the channel of their respective side walls and the other leg fitting snugly in the channel of said bottomv wall,l

whereby toA reinforce and square up the front corners of said cabinet, means for fastening said corner members to said walls, two of said corner members on the same side of the cabinethaving outwardly projecting door supporting lugs provided thereon in substantiallyparallel horizontal planes and having holes provided. therein in coaxial relation on a substantially vertical axis, a door for the cabinet, and pintles provided on said door and yjournaled in the holes formed in said door supporting lugs.

4. In a cabinet, a plurality of substantially rectangular sections formed of sheet material arranged to define the top, bottom and sides of the cabinet, the front edges. of said sections being formed into channel shape, and L-shaped'members entered into said channel at .the adjacent front corner portions of said top and side sections, and said bottom and side sections, said L-shaped members being secured in position therein to interconnect said top and side sections and said bottom and side sections at said front corner portions, said L-shaped members at one side of the cabinet having projections provided thereonextending forwardly from the plane of the front Number of the cabinet, and a door hingedly mounted ony 913,429 said projections to form a front closure for said 1,178,612 cabinet. 1,581,256 LYLE C. RJOCKWELL. 5 1,692,765 1,742,976 REFERENCES CITED 1,746,307 The Vfollowing references are of record in the 13306510 le of this patent: l. UNITED STATES PATENTS 211423,53 Number Name Date 2,226,670

71,032 McCoy Nov. 19, 1867 Name Date Ralph Feb. 23, 1909 Weiss Apr. 11, 1916 Wege Apr. 20, 1926 Salt Nov. 20, 1928 Vance Jan. 7, 1930 Frank Feb. 11, 1930 Christensen May 26, 1931 Madsen Oct. 27, 1931 Bales Jan. 23, 1934 Raymond Jan. 3, 1939 Pratt Dec. 31, 1940 

